Mormon has broken into his narrative to explain how he is
going about abridging what would become the Book of Mormon. He writes a main
source is the plates of Nephi. Other refrences are made by Mormon as he
abridges the plates. Moroni also does the same. “Behold I do not mean the end
of the book of Helaman, but I mean the end of the book of Nephi, from which I
have taken all the account which I have written” (Helaman 2:14).”
“AND now I, Mormon, make a record of the things which I have
both seen and heard, and call it the Book of Mormon. And about the time that
Ammaron hid up the records unto the Lord, he came unto me, (I being about ten
years of age, and I began to be learned somewhat after the manner of the
learning of my people) and Ammaron said unto me: I perceive that thou art a
sober child, and art quick to observe; Therefore, when ye are about twenty and
four years old I would that ye should remember the things that ye have observed
concerning this people; and when ye are of that age go to the land Antum, unto
a hill which shall be called Shim; and there have I deposited unto the Lord all
the sacred engravings concerning this people. And behold, ye shall take the
plates of Nephi unto yourself, and the remainder shall ye leave in the place
where they are; and ye shall engrave on the plates of Nephi all the things that
ye have observed concerning this people” (Mormon 1:1- 4).
“And now, the city of Jashon was near the land where Ammaron
had deposited the records unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed. And
behold I had gone according to the word of Ammaron, and taken the plates of
Nephi, and did make a record according to the words of Ammaron. And upon the
plates of Nephi I did make a full account of all the wickedness and
abominations; but upon these plates I did forbear to make a full account of
their wickedness and abominations, for behold, a continual scene of wickedness
and abominations has been before mine eyes ever since I have been sufficient to
behold the ways of man” (Mormon 2:17-18).
“BEHOLD I, Moroni, do finish the record of my father,
Mormon. Behold, I have but few things to write, which things I have been
commanded by my father … Therefore I will write and hide up the records in the
earth; and whither I go it mattereth not … Behold, my father hath made this
record, and he hath written the intent thereof. And behold, I would write it
also if I had room upon the plates, but I have not; and ore I have none, for I
am alone. My father hath been slain in battle, and all my kinsfolk, and I have
not friends nor whither to go; and chow
long the Lord will suffer that I may live I know not … And I am the same who
hideth up this record unto the Lord; the plates thereof are of no worth,
because of the commandment of the Lord. For he truly saith that no one shall
have them to get gain; but the record thereof is of great worth; and whoso
shall bring it to light, him will the Lord bless” (Mormon 8:1, 4-5, 14).
Mormon also makes it clear this record is “made with mine
own hands” (3 Nephi 5:11).
“[T]he Book of Mormon stands in stark contrast to the Hebrew
Bible. While the Bible says virtually nothing about how its records were kept
and transmitted and while its narrators hardly ever play even a minor role
within the narrative itself, the processes, purposes, and persons of record
keeping in the Book of Mormon are central to and ever present in the story.
Nephi and Mormon are at the same time the major record keepers and the two
central human characters in the narrative. Their respective records also
contain numerous asides in which they reflect upon their literary purposes and
the nature of the record they attempt to create. Even Christ takes time during
his brief ministry to correct and complete the Nephite record and to be sure
that his followers understand earth’s mortal history by means of their recorded
scriptures.”[1]
It is here we meet Mormon for the first time (3 Nephi 5:12).
He introduces himself and the person making this record. He tells us he is
named after the land of Mormon. “And it came to pass that as many as did
believe [Alma1] did go forth to a place which was called Mormon,
having received its name from the king, being in the borders of the land having
been infested, by times or at seasons, by wild beasts. Now, there was in Mormon
a fountain of pure water, and Alma resorted thither, there being near the water
a thicket of small trees, where he did hide himself in the daytime from the
searches of the king … And now it came to pass that all this was done in
Mormon, yea, by the waters of Mormon, in the forest that was near the waters of
Mormon; yea, the place of Mormon, the waters of Mormon, the forest of Mormon,
how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of
their Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they, for they shall sing to his
praise forever” (Mosiah 18:4-5, 30).
“I, Alma, having been consecrated by my father, Alma, to be
a high priest over the church of God, he having power and authority from God to
do these things, behold, I say unto you that he began to establish a church in
the land which was in the borders of Nephi; yea, the land which was called the
land of Mormon; yea, and he did baptize his brethren in the waters of Mormon” (Alma
5:3).
Mormon declares he is a disciple of Christ. He was called “to
declare his word among this people, ta they might have everlasting life” (3 Nephi
5:13). “HEARKEN, O ye Gentiles, and hear the words of Jesus Christ, the Son of
the living God, which he hath commanded me that I should speak concerning you,
for, behold he commandeth me that I should write…” (3 Nephi 30:1).
“And now I, Mormon, speak unto you, my beloved brethren; and
it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and his holy
will, because of the gift of his calling unto me, that I am permitted to speak
unto you at this time” (Moroni 7:2).
Mormon was a true disciple who
lived in a day when “every heart was hardened … and there never had been so
great wickedness among all the children of Lehi.”7 How
would you like to have lived in that day? And yet Mormon boldly declared,
“Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
Don’t you love Mormon? He knew who
he was and what his mission was and was not distracted by the evil that
surrounded him. In fact, he considered his calling to be a gift.[2]
The record he is making is done according to God’s
will. This record is being preserved
through the prayers of all the righteous and their faith. For example…
And now behold, this was the desire
which I desired of him—that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites,
should fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the
Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of
my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it
might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps,
they might be brought unto salvation—
For at the present our strugglings
were vain in restoring them to the true faith.
And they swore in their wrath that, if it were possible, they would destroy
our records and us, and also all the traditions of our fathers.
Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord
God was able to preserve our records, I cried unto him continually, for he had
said unto me: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall
receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it.
And I had faith, and I did cry unto
God that he would preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would
bring them forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time.
And I, Enos, knew it would be
according to the covenant which he had made; wherefore my soul did rest.
And the Lord said unto me: Thy
fathers have also required of me this thing; and it shall be done unto them
according to their faith; for their faith was like unto thine” (Enos 1:13-18).
[1] The
Covenant of the Chosen People: The Spiritual Foundations of Ethnic Identity in
the Book of Mormon, Steven L. Olsen, Journal
of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 21/2 (2012): 22-23.
[2] Wanted:
Hands and Hearts to Hasten the Work, Sister Linda K. Burton, Relief
Society General President, April 2014 General Conference.
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